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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2002)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, April 18, 2002 New health improvement “product” is great for women over 65 If you’re a woman over 65, there’s a great new health im provement “product” available to you. It will help you live longer, decrease your risk of heart attack by 50 percent, low er your “bad” cholesterol, in crease your endurance and re duce your body fat. It will re duce your risk of diabetes and increase your muscle mass. It is considered relatively safe and low-risk. Too good to be true? Not at all, according to a study in the American Journal of Geriatric Cardiology. That “product” is regular exercise. The older you are, the more good regular exercise will do for you. One study showed that older women’s endurance of women aged 62 through 82 in creased 40 percent. The great est improvement in endurance was in women who started out the most sedentary and wound up with the highest exercise in tensities. The good news for people who don’t exercise is that starting an exercise pro gram, no matter how old you are, can help you live longer and better. Benefits to muscles and bones, due to exercise, have been well documented. Without exercise, you may expect your muscle mass to reduce by as much as 15 percent per decade, double that after age 80. But with regular exercise, combining both endurance and resistance training, muscle strength in senior women actu ally increases. Resistance training in older women results in increased muscle mass, muscle strength, lung capacity and reduces weight and body fat density. These improve- Hazardous/toxic household waste disposal event scheduled May 4th Columbia County residents may take advantage of a free Hazardous Household Waste disposal event on Saturday, May 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the St. Helens Mainte nance Facility, 58555 McNulty Way in St. Helens. Some of the items classified as Hazardous Household Waste include yard and garden chemicals, household cleaners, paint, fluorescent lights, auto motive products, solvents, mer cury thermometers, medical - sharps only, and used batter ies. Visitors pay parking Items which cannot be ac fees at Vernonia Lake cepted are tires, radioactive materials, explosives, medical The City of Vernonia will be wastes, industrial or commer implementing park fees at Ver cial waste, propane tanks and nonia Lake beginning April 18. techno wastes (computers and The entrance fee is $3.00 per monitors). The event is jointly spon vehicle per day or $12 per ve sored by the Oregon Depart hicle per year. The fee does not pertain to those residing in the ment of Environmental Quality, Vernonia 47J School District. A Columbia County, City of St. “Friends of Vernonia Parks” Helens, CEPA, Waste Manage sticker is available at Vernonia ment and Hudson Garbage & City Hall with proof of resi Recycling. For more information, call dence. Donations to Vernonia Parks 503-397-2185. are always gladly accepted. out on Limb gifts - antiques - collectibles OPEN: Tue-Wed-Thu-Sat, 10-6 • Frl, Noon-6 • Sun, Noon-4 58650 N ehalem H wy . S., V ernonia (N ext to S torage , Too) 503-429-0156 • S haron B ernal , P rop . ments in strength are associat cent increase in HDL “good” of exercise. ed with an increased flexibility cholesterol and significantly So what to do to get started? lower levels of LDL “bad” cho If you’ve been sedentary, you and range of motion. During the last ten years, 36 lesterol. may want to begin by engaging percent of women between the A study of women aged in “lifestyle activities," such as ages of 65 and 74 and one-half 50-69 years of age showed walking up stairs, gardening, of women over 75 and older re that regular aerobic exercise housecleaning, and other phys ported no leisure-time physical reduced blood pressure, lower ical tasks that can be incorpo activity. In this same time peri ing the systolic pressure by ten rated into everyday life. Studies od, according to the American points, and the diastolic an av have shown that benefits de rived by becoming more active Heart Association, the death erage of six points. rate due to cardiovascular dis A research project on heart throughout the day are similar ease in women increased. Ac attacks showed other benefits to those obtained through a companying that increase were of moderate leisure-time physi structured exercise routine. increases in glucose intoler cal activity. In that study, mid Before starting an exercise ance, hyperlipidemia, and high dle-aged and senior women program, see your physician. blood pressure. showed a 24-38 percent re Then ask for your doctor’s guid Type 2 diabetes increases duced rate of mortality. They ance in starting out. Physicians with age for people with a suffered 50 percent fewer heart have good resources for start sedentary lifestyle and obesity. attacks. ing exercise programs. Other But in one group of healthy old San Francisco researchers resources include the library, a er women who undertook six studied about six thousand local gym, or the Internet. months of high-intensity en mostly white, healthy women Women over 65 are the durance training three times a age 65 or older, evaluating their fastest growing segment of the week, there was an improve mental faculties and exercise nation’s population. That trend ment in insulin sensitivity. levels over a six to eight year will continue for the next twenty In studies of cholesterol lev span. Those women in the years. During the past 30 els and exercise, both women highest quartile of exercise, years, studies have shown that and men benefit, but women which was measured by calo exercise and physical activity have a greater benefit from ex ries expended walking or en improve health, reduce the risk ercise. A one year study of car gaging in other rigorous activi of illness and enhance the diac rehabilitation subjects ties, were 26 percent less apt to quality of life. Exercise may be showed that women who exer develop cognitive decline than the best health-care “product” cised regularly had a 20 per- those who got the least amount that you can invest in. Volunteers needed at Columbia Co. WRC The Columbia County Women’s Resource Center is seeking male and female vol unteers of all ages. A number of volunteer opportunies are available, including the follow ing: • Volunteer Advocates an swer the 24-hour hotline at The Women’s Resource Center. Crisis line counselors are linked between victim, law en forcement, hospitals, other re sources in the community and to provide peer support to help people who call in crisis. They Oh Fudge! GOURMET CANDY SHOP Swedish Berries • Dutch Mints Rock Pebbles • Orange Slices Saltwater Taffy • Jelly Beans Caramel Com • Nut Brittles Old-Fashioned Candy Sticks Trailblazer Preserves Local Honey & More!!! B rid g e S tr e e t M a ll 9OX B rid g e S t., V e rn o n ia 5O3-419-S6O3 are also responsible for work ing with residents and walk in clients in a 24 hour facility. • Youth Services Facilitator does presentations in area school districts for the Child Abuse Prevention Program, Teen Healthy Relationship and Date Rape Prevention. Facilita tors must be available to be scheduled for daytime classes. • Child Care Providers must be willing to provide temporary childcare of clients and resi dents children when the parent is participating in case meet ings, support groups, training or medical appointments. • Transportation Providers provide emergency transporta tion to appointments and to shelter. • Donation Coordinators are responsible for donation calls and for inventory and putting away. • Maintenance and Yard Workers provide routine main tenance in The Women’s Re source Center and yard work on the grounds. WRC offers volunteer train ing twice a year. The next train ing starts April 22. For more information, call Theresa, the Volunteer Ser vices Manager, at 503-397- 7110.
